out of the Wood

The day is fresh and breezy..too fresh to do anything on the dyedeck. I put a bunch of things into the soda ash solution last night in anticipation of a day spent working the colors but it's barely 70 and experience has taught me that I would be beyond aggravated with the results if I was expecting any thing other than pastels and I have Vivid and Exuberant colors on my mind.  I will abide. The summers in Georgia are long and hot and I have a few experiments in mind that call for dry fabric. Later I'll fish a few of the larger pieces out of the soup and hang them up to dry.

I'm finally taking a serious whack at getting the studio in order, drifts of finished work, UFOs and raw materials cavort unchecked. The guest bedroom will be opening up soon and I want to be ready to move.

 The morning task was to finishing re-photographing some older pieces and getting the store inventory in order. If I must say so, there are some inspired groupings and I re-cherry-picked the whole lot and kept a few more for my own purposes. That chore out of the way, and the big sewing machine unearthed, I pulled "The Wood" from the wall and faced it, envelope style, and while not completely sacrificing the wonkiness of the edges, it's ready for some quilting/embroidery.

Now I'm going to select some threads, load the little basket and find a comfy spot to sit and  stitch once the game comes on. 

a day in the fiber mine

 
You're in for it now!

Eleven new sets, each prettier than the next, up and available today over at Random Acts of Dyeness. 

Now it's time to chill with a new book "the Story of Edgar Sawtelle". So far it makes me think of Annie Dillard. I'm hooked.

Later I'll be hand tossing my own pizzas for dinner ..sorry no film, it's not a pretty sight but the results are always tasty. I do promise to sweep the floor and turn off the ceiling fan before I begin.

an art day

Wait wait...did they win?

 I fell asleep in the middle of the game last night. yes 9-1. good on ya Bravos. Now I can carry on with my day once I finish this cup of coffee.

Had to set this piece aside last night because I was stitching while tired and twice stabbed m'self bloody and didn't want to have to wash the thing half finished. There 's not enough light to stitch by yet this morning so there are two large baskets of hand dyes  beside me for divvying up into new cloth burritos since the store is about wiped out (thank you!)

Here's hoping the temps lift out of the sixties later because I'd also like to get a new batch of cloth into the dyepots.

I had the most realistic and complex dream last night - the kind of dream where a long forgotten unfinished piece of business comes together with a bow on it as if written by some master storyteller. In the morning the world looks different.

Yesterday I was moved to silliness and tears repeatedly by both of these videos here and here

great tool

When I took them up to the register and asked the price I can't recall if she said "69 or 88 cents each". All I could say was "I'll take them both!". I must have a half dozen measuring tapes snaking around the studio someplace not ever where I recall putting them.

A full 1.5" wide and .25" thick, this is an old school tool. If a teacher cut you a lick with one like this you would surely remember the lesson. These days, they would be jailed for assault.

With a tight, smooth grain I'll forgive the advertising and  store it over the door frame to keep it from warping or ask my resident carpenter to drill a hole so I can hang it up. 

Rush on down!

origins

This is what you do when you are trapped in place with nothing but a crochet needle and a ball of cotton string.

These are the originals. The softie on the left is my thread catcher and the one on the right was saturated with watery acrylic paint and now feels like a little wooden basket. I use it as a catch-all on my desk. These are a bit smaller than the ones I've been making lately.

Look what Deanna has done with hers!

a post full of grace...


and some pure joy
  

fixing a hole

It was supposed to be rainy today; a sit and stitch day, but sunshine and gardening took precedence. All the places that sell baby plants in the spring are now putting all the neglected leftovers on sale for half price. You should see them after a good watering in a permanent location!  Pictures will follow.

I picked this up this early and did one hole but couldn't stay with it. I'm a little down and anxious because my Mom is not doing well. I need to make a trip to see her soon.

dear gallery visitors

"Limbo"  (38"x68")

According to stats there's been quite the rush at my main gallery lately. Thanks for stopping by! Rumors of my passing or incarceration have been greatly exaggerated.  If anyone has any questions or would like additional images of any particular piece, please email me. I'd be delighted to take some detail shots..maybe even drag them out onto the lawn into the sun for some "live" shots.

housekeeping

This pre-cleaning view of the pool is becoming a tradition. The "after" pictures make me feel like a miracle worker...even if I'm only the team leader- I really couldn't do it without the help of my guys. My cheap thrill comes with the finally hosing and scrubbing when the blue is revealed.

Speaking of blue...do you think some very small bird might possible think this is a good place to make a nest? Maybe I should have made it in shades of brown.

Friday with NO WORK!

I was loose on the town yesterday with my buddy JR - (nobody went to 'mergency and nobody went to jail) but a good time was had by all...no big stretch for the Easily Amused!

First stop was a revelation for both of us. While IKEA is inspiring, it's overwhelming. I come away from them thinking I need to torch my joint and start from scratch.

On the other hand, The Container Store in the Perimeter Mall area of Atlanta was great fun. With a focus on organization I actually came away with ideas for reorganizing the studio and a few closets. They also have tons of just plain fun stuff like these little clear acrylic boxes that I used to spend my lunch money on at Takashimaya in NYC. I'm sure I'll find a way to put them to uses other than mere eye candy. 

We went from there to Restoration Hardware where we were treated like invisible lepers. I imagine I could have jumped up and down on their 4000$ bed and no one would have mentioned it. We might have gotten away with taking that 8 foot Eiffel Tower right out the front door. hmmmf.

On to the Barnes and Noble next door to further expand our brains and shrink our wallets. Enough foot work for the morning; we saddled up and groped our way up county to the wilds of Roswell to find the elusive Lemon Meringue Pie at the charming PieHole in Roswell. No luck but plenty of tasty alternatives. JR has given up finding her favorite pie; they have a really short shelf life but still we ran wild and had dessert before lunch.

We got back on the road and set out to find the address of a radio station where I was to pick up  tickets to see Tom Petty that Jim won when he entered a drawing at Cool Ray park last week.  Severe lack of civic imagination has every other street named "Peachtree Something" or "Somebody's Ferry", so we wandered around lost for about an hour in midday Friday traffic. Phone calls from my husband and to the radio station were no help. Finally I asked JR if her new phone had GPS. She had no idea.

We pulled into a parking lot and poked at the thing for a few minutes trying to learn the function on the spot. The screen said "type or speak your destination"- in a stage voice I told it where to go. The screen went all fuzzy  and after a minute or so a tinny voice said "turn left onto Mt. Vernon Highway". Hilarity! Demon voices guided us straight to the place. I couldn't get over the notion that the car had been possessed. Really, we're not Luddites, just a little out of step.

The frosting on the cake of my day was being able to stay awake for the Braves home opener. The pajama seats were great and the boys saved the day by winning!  A day off like this makes working the weekend palatable.

stunned

 
I just can't help myself. This makes me want to get a really expensive tattoo. Almost.(photo by G.Mocafico)


It's clear to me why I find some of these so compelling.

and don't miss his Jellies!